November 4, 2014

Review "Those of the Cursed Light" in Metal Rules Webzine (English)

The Spaniards in Frozen Dawn make no bones about their music, and if you
look even a little closely at their song titles, you’ll figure it out
pretty quick too: pure black metal, heavily influenced by Immortal. I
mean, it’s not tough to figure out when you’ve got not one, not two, but
three songs that reference “frost”, right?

All kidding aside, THOSE OF THE CURSED LIGHT is the band’s second
album after a 2007 EP, and 2011 full length called THE OLD PROPHECY OF
WINTERLAND. This album comes wrapped in a typical black metal, yet
awesomely rendered piece of cover art that is just stunning. Once the
album starts playing, it’s nearly an hour of pure cold, second-wave
black metal, with nary a hint of the symphonic. While there may not be
anything special or unique about the band’s music, it certainly is
well-written and effective in its orthodoxy. Special mention must be
made of the closing track, “Kalte Seele”, which is an insanely addictive
march that just rules on every level. It’s also distinguished by the
fact that it is a Norwegian-styled black metal song, played by a band of
Spanish musicians, and sung in German. I’m not sure if that’s a record
of some kind, but it damn sure is a great song.

No matter how you slice it, THOSE OF THE CURSED LIGHT is a
successful album that is sure to please fans of this subgenre of black
metal. It may be a bit too by the book for some, but given that this
style isn’t nearly as overcrowded as it used to be, Frozen Dawn deserve
their chance to be heard.